Once upon a time, there was a little girl—not just a girl, she was actually a princess!  

The princess was lonely. A dragon had pulled her away from her privileged life and now she was trapped in solitude atop a tower, just waiting for her knight to come and save her.

In that isolated prison, the princess waited. She waited and waited, then waited some more. She watched out of her window and dreamed of the day when her knight appeared on the horizon—such was destiny.

Many times, the princess would watch brave knights cross the threshold into the dragon’s domain, but everytime the knight would either flee or fall upon facing the terrifying beast that held the princess hostage. They were not her knight. And so she kept waiting.

BUT one day, when yet another knight had tried and failed to save the princess, she grew tired of waiting. In the tedium of her imprisonment, the princess had worked hard to maintain a good shape; she had also watched SO many knights fail to slay the dragon, and all of them had fallen in ways she knew she could avoid. The princess made a decision: the time for waiting had ended.

With that decision made, the princess took destiny into her own hand. She boldly opened the door that had entrapped her for so long and made her way down the long stairs of her tower.

As she made her way down the stairs, the princess grew afraid. She knew the dragon would be waiting for her at the bottom, and so her palms grew sweaty. Her body began to shake. Despite that fear, she pressed onward. She had made a decision and intended to stick to it.

At the base of the tower was a skeleton, dressed in armor and bearing a sword and shield. The princess gasped at the sight; she had not realized that any of the fallen knights had made it this far. It took a moment for the princess to recollect herself before stripping the armor, shield, and blade from the pile of bones. Then, finally ready, the princess stepped out from beneath the tower and found herself staring down the massive face of the dragon that had been awaiting her.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  The dragon’s voice echoed in her head. YOU”RE SUPPOSED TO WAIT ATOP THE TOWER UNTIL ONE OF THE KNIGHTS CAN SLAY ME.

“I’m done waiting!” The princess proclaimed to the dragon. “I’ll slay you myself!”

Those words made the dragon angry. It lifted its head, letting out a deep, ferocious roar. Then it lowered its head, releasing a barrage of flames in the princess’ direction. She held up her shield, and stood strong on her ground as the flame flowed around her.

Once the dragon ran out of breath with which to continue its onslaught of fire, the princess began her dance. She approached the dragon fluidly, dodging any attack it threw at her in the meantime. After finding herself within striking distance, the princess sliced and diced at any part of the dragon that she could reach—again, being careful to always avoid anything the dragon could do to hurt her.

In the end, as unbelievable as it may seem, the princess slayed the dragon. She stood victorious above its fallen body and took in the moment before beginning her journey home; this was her victory.

Of course, the road back to the princess’ kingdom would still not be easy. The dragon had set up its lair far from any civilization, deep in the most treacherous stretch of isolated wilderness.

The princess would have to spend many nights sleeping under the open sky, without any protection from the beasts around her—after awakening to a few unfortunate encounters, she would learn to rest on branches of trees or in other safer spaces. She would also find herself going hungry often; eventually, she would learn to hunt those same beasts that terrorized her in order to avoid starving.

There was no way for the princess to know the best path to her kingdom, nor to any form of civilization. There was no way for her to know how far she had to travel. She walked blindly towards the north, using the sun to keep her bearings, and moved only as much as she could manage safely in a day.

Eventually, the princess was fortunate to find herself in a small town. She went up to a man who was loading a wheelbarrow with fruits and began speaking to him.

“I am the princess.” She declared firmly. “I demand to be given transport to the castle.”

“The princess?” The man laughed as he responded, thoroughly amused by her claim. “What would a princess be doing here?”

“I have escaped the dragon’s lair and traveled far through the wilderness.” The princess replied honestly. “Now I need to return to the castle—to my father.”

The man only laughed harder at her explanation.

“That’s quite the story, little girl.” He said when he finally re-collected himself. “Now you better get going home.”

But the princess had no home to go to, and so she continued to insist.

“I’m not joking.” She tried to explain as the man returned to loading his wheelbarrow. “I need to return to the king.”

The man stopped his work again and studied the girl’s eyes carefully. He saw in them truth and determination that he was simply unable to deny.

“Even if what you say is true, I can’t afford to leave my farm for long enough to make such a trip.” The man retained eye contact as he spoke to the girl. “It is a long journey, and my farm needs maintaining.”

“When you return me to my father he will reward you with riches beyond your wildest imagination.” The princess did not miss a beat as she continued to plead. “You will be able to buy the finest farm in the kingdom.”

The man shook his head in reply.

“Perhaps, but how do I know that to be true?” He questioned. “And even if I could afford a new farm, my farm would be ruined if I left for so long. My family would not be able to survive the time it took before I returned with these riches you promise.”

“I see.” The princess paused for a minute as she thought. “Then is there anyone else who can take me?”

“There may be a couple who would be able to leave their duties long enough to make the journey,” the man spoke in a soft, gentle voice as he responded, “but I doubt if they would agree without a guarantee of their payment.”

For a moment, the princess was overcome with despair. She had thought that after making it this far, the road home would become easy: it was clear now that that would not be so.

But the princess remained determined, and so she pushed that darkness down. She thought deeply about her situation and reached a conclusion. She spoke again to the man:

“Then can I work for you?” She asked. “If I need to earn the money, then can you give me a job with which to do so?”

The man shook his head again.

“The life of a farmhand is no life for a girl like your—” He trailed off before finishing his thought. The girl was looking at him now with such wide, shaking eyes. As a father, the man could not ignore such a desperate, pleading look. “Very well. I’m sure that we can find work for you.”

With that, the princess became a farmhand. At first, the man and his other workers would only give her the easy jobs—feeding the animals, cleaning their stalls, picking the fruits, and other opportunities that seemed fitting for a young girl to them. As time went on though, they quickly realized that she was both willing and capable of the more difficult jobs as well.

It wasn’t long before the princess would help the farm-workers to wrestle down a pig, or cut down a tree. She would even help them with the butchering of the animals—indeed, she proved to be quite gifted at all of these tasks.

The people of the small town quickly developed an affinity for this girl who had shown up so strangely on their doorstep. There was no job too lowly for her, and she was always willing to help any who needed it. As time went on, they forgot that she claimed to be a princess and thought of her only as one of their own. 

About three years passed, with the princess working hard on the farm of the man who had first welcomed her to the town. His farm was now thriving, as the princess had helped to make its processes work more smoothly and efficiently then he had ever considered possible. Unbeknownst to him though, the time had almost come for the princess to leave; finally, she had saved enough money to buy a trip back to the castle.

It was late one night when there was a knock on the man’s door as he enjoyed supper with his family. The man got up to see who was there, and found that the princess was standing on his doorstep.

“It’s late.” He said to the girl. “Can this not wait until tomorrow?”

“It can’t.” She replied. “I’ve finally saved enough money, and found someone who can guide me home. We plan to leave tomorrow—as soon as the sun rises.”

“Home?” The man was confused for a moment. It took some thought before a shocked impression formed on his face. “You’re going to the Castle?”

“Of course.” The princess answered. “I will be sorry to leave you, but I have a duty to this country that I must fulfil.”

“You can’t—” The man paused for a moment as he tried to process the sudden onslaught of emotions. The princess watched as his pupils suddenly shrunk and his face grew red. When he spoke again, his voice was raspy and loud. “This delusion has gone on long enough. You’re not a princess—if you ride to the castle, you’ll leave your whole life behind for nothing.”

The princess took a sudden step back. In the three years she had known him, the man had never acted in such a way. When he took an aggressive step towards her, she turned and fled. The man did not return to his family’s dinner that night; he chose instead to be alone.

The next morning, the princess found herself in the back of a horse-pulled cart among a litter of young pigs. An elderly man sat in the front, guiding the horses.

For about a week, the princess would travel among this small litter. She would help to take care of them, and in the end they would arrive less than two day’s travel from the castle where she was raised so long ago. 

After helping the elderly man unload the piglets for his nephew who was purchasing them, the princess waved a farewell to her friend as he began heading back to the small town that they had come from. She began making her way by foot out onto the local dirt trail that cut through the forest. In only two more nights, this long journey would be over; she would finally return home.

It seems only natural that one last obstacle would present itself before the princess made it to the city. As she was journeying deep in the woods, she heard an unusual rustling. Immediately, her body tensed up and her hand went to the handle of her blade.

The princess was fully prepared when the group of three bandits jumped out and surrounded her. When they demanded she give them her belongings, she didn’t hesitate for even a moment. In a flash of movement, she had all three of her opponents disarmed and on the ground. She took their weapons and threw them deep into a thick section of thorned brush off the side of the trail. 

“When I return home, I will have men come back to hunt you down.” She warned her attackers. “It is pathetic to prey on those you think to be weaker than you.”

After another couple of hours of traveling, the princess would decide to rest once more. She would sleep the night, and then set out again the next morning. There would not be three more hours of walking before she finally saw the walls to the city within which the castle lay.

The princess breathed deeply as her heart began to race and her body seemed to lighten. She moved freely and quickly as she rushed over to the gates that would let her through the city walls. Two guards awaited at either side of that gate.

“Halt!” One of the guards called out. The princess stopped where she stood. “What business do you have in our city?”

“I am the princess!” The princess exclaimed. “I have returned!”

“You don’t look like a princess.” The guard appeared amused by the situation. “What kingdom would let their princess arrive on foot, especially in such wretched condition?”

“The journey was long,” the princess tried to explain. “But I have returned. I am the princess of this kingdom.”

The guards only laughed further at those words.

“You best be turning around.” The guard told her. “We have enough trash in this city without letting more in.”

Realizing there was no point in arguing further, the princess turned around. With her body suddenly feeling heavy, she slowly trudged her way back up the path and hid from the guards’ sight among the treeline.

She found herself fuming in frustration. Every step of the way, she was facing more and more obstacles. She was so close now, but felt just as helpless as she had atop the tower in the dragon’s lair. Still, she knew she could not give up here. She had to press on.

And so, the princess waited. She sat there among the trees and waited patiently for a covered wagon to go by. As soon as one did, the princess was not going to miss her opportunity. Quickly, and like a shadow, she launched herself off of the ground and hopped into the back of that wagon. To the driver, it seemed no different then if one of the wheels had hit a bump.

Looking around herself, she found the back of that wagon to be filled with barrels of fruit. She knew the guards would search the back of the wagon, and she would need a good place to hide; but she did not see one.

Once again, the princess found her heart racing as blood rushed to her head. She had to think clearly; if the guards found her back here, she would be thrown in the dungeons with no hope for escape. But where—where could she hide?

The wagon stopped. They must have reached the gate. The princess knew she had only moments to act. Inspiration struck.

She knocked over a barrel, spilling its contents onto the ground of the wagon. Then, quickly and quietly, she climbed into that barrel. She listened as the footsteps of the guards came around to the back of the wagon.

“It looks like you spilled some of your wares!” A guard called up to the driver of the wagon as he climbed into the back. 

The princess heard the guard walking around her barrel, peeking into the tops of the other barrels which remained standing.  She held her breath and prayed that he did not bend down to check the barrel that she was hiding in. When she heard the guard stepping down out of the back of the wagon, she sighed a breath of relief.  The wagon rode forward into the city walls, and the princess waited only a couple minutes before jumping out the back.

Out in the road, she looked up to see the castle towering above the inner-walls of the city. She could see it now—the place that she had once called home. Her heart slowed, and her lungs filled with air.

Filled once more with determination, the princess headed through the streets of the city and straight to the gates of the inner-wall. She walked up to the guards who stood outside those gates and spoke without hesitation:

“I demand an audience with the king.”

The guards looked down at her and, like so many before them, laughed while shaking their heads.

“The king has no business with scum like you.” One of the knights answered. 

“I am one of his citizens.” The princess had learned better than to expect others to understand her true identity. “Does that not mean I deserve an audience with him?”

“You are scum.” The guard replied without a moment’s thought. “Now leave, before I make you.”

With that conversation, the princess had again hit a blockade. She was stuck now inside the walls of the city with nothing and no one to help her. If she left to seek food in the forest, she knew she may not be lucky enough to sneak back in and so she saw no choice but to bide her time.

While she was stuck in the city, she needed to find food in order to fight off her hunger. Over the next few days, she found herself begging on the streets, and then rummaging through the trash when no one would offer her any kindness. To sleep at night, she would sneak into a local stable and rest upon the hay beside their horses.

One day though, the stable-owner found her still laying on the hay early in the morning. He chased her out and warned her that the next time, he would call the city guards to throw her in the dungeon. She knew she could not stay there again.

For two weeks after that, she survived by sleeping in alleyways and continuing to rummage through trash. Despite her best efforts, no one besides the other homeless would even acknowledge her. She found herself once again feeling more isolated than she had even atop the dragon’s tower—at least the dragon had given her a roof to sleep under.

Finally though, an opportunity presented itself. The king was scheduled to speak to his people outside of the castle walls, and the princess knew this would be her only chance. She would present herself to her father, and finally reclaim the role to which she was born.

With the king scheduled to parade among the people, the streets of the city became crowded. It was easy for the princess to hide among the many people; they noticed her no more than they had the past few weeks.

And as expected, the king came straight down the street in which the princess had prepared herself. Her father rode directly towards her, and she knew she could break through the guards and look him in the eyes. 

However, despite how ready she was for this moment—how long she had awaited it, she still found herself hesitating when it came. What would she do if her father did not recognize her?

If he didn’t recognize her, then she would be thrown in the dungeon for the rest of her life. She knew how those prisoners were treated. She knew there would be no escape from there.

But what would her life be if she did not take this opportunity? She would not stay in the city—she could not bear to live this life any longer. Perhaps she could find a local farm and work there, as she had in the small town which she had left only a few weeks ago.

No—she could not return to that life either. She was a princess, and that was the only life that she had ever sought. She had not gone through this whole journey for nothing. She would face her father again.

Luckily, in the time she took to make that final decision, the moment had not passed. The princess jumped out into the streets and danced around the king’s knights, causing them one-by-one to fall to the ground as she made her way past them. Right before the guards tackled her from behind, she was able to present herself to her father. She looked into his eyes and saw them growing wide as she collapsed onto the ground.

“Stop!” The king declared to his guards. “Let the girl up so that I may see her.”

The guards obeyed, and the princess stood up beside the king. The two of them looked at one another as the king’s brain tried to process what he was seeing. The princess saw water dripping from his eyes as he ran over to hug her.

‘“My daughter!” He exclaimed through his tears. “You have returned!”

The embrace between the two long-estranged family members lasted for some time, but eventually the king pushed away. He took a step back, and looked up and down his daughter, seeming to notice the condition she was in for the first time.

“But what has happened to you?” He asked. “Where is the knight who saved you from the dragon?”

“There was no knight.” The princess proclaimed to her father. “They were all too weak, and so I saved myself.  The road was long, but I have made it back!”

The king furrowed his brow.

“But if no knight has saved you, then who are you to marry?” He questioned. “Who is to be my successor?”

“I will choose someone,” the princess replied, “if I can find anyone who is worthy.”  

“This is not the way of things.” The king shook his head. “And if you upset the way of things like this, you will end up upsetting our entire country.”

“What do you want me to do father?” The princess asked. “The dragon is slain, and I have returned. Would you have me return to the tower and await my savior—a savior who cannot prove himself, for there is no longer a dragon to slay?”

The king thought hard about his daughter’s words.

“We will return to the castle.” He said. “You must clean up, and we will have you present yourself as a princess again. Then, we will decide how to proceed.”

The princess looked down at the ground and away from her father. Her lungs felt constricted as the air in them seemed to grow heavy. She had made it. She was home.

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From the blog of XXXDragonPrincess666XXX:

It’s so frustrating! I’ve submitted this story to like ten magazines now, and they’ve all rejected it. Like, I know I’m not the greatest author in the world but I’m really proud of this story and poured a lot of my heart into it. Maybe it’s just not meant to be.

Really this week has just sucked all around—Sammi and I got in a fight as well. It was really dumb; she was upset because I canceled on her before a party the other night but, like, I was just really tired. She’s my best friend, but still just doesn’t get it. I’m not like her; I don’t fit in with people.

That’s why I like to write though, I guess. I can create characters who are like me and express myself through them in ways that I just can’t do in real life. But people still don’t get it half the time.

Anyway, I figured I’d just paste my story here—not that I expect anyone to read this either. I worked hard on it and it feels good to have it out there somewhere. Plus I think I want to try to expand on it a little. Whatever, I mean it’s all just for fun. Oh! I almost forgot to mention, one other cool thing did happen this week! The solar eclipse was last Tuesday and it was, like, awesome! Sammi and I both went up to the school roof and watched it together from there—this was before we started fighting of course. I hope we get over things soon. That was really fun, and I want to have more stuff like that.

Well, I think that’s everything important for this week. I’ll post another update soon.

XXX

DragonPrincess666

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